So, I know our local sports team won’t be in the big game, but the commercials will still be there! And we’re getting a new comfy sectional delivered tomorrow. So who wants to come over and only sort of watch the game on the 3rd?

Mirrored from The Black Horse of the Blog World.

I recently came across a great article about the first time the US went over a ‘fiscal cliff’, back in 1893. I found it, of all places, in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

It’s a fascinating look at revenues through tariffs, unanticipated consequences, perverting incentives, inducing the overthrow of an island monarchy in favor of annexation by a ( Read more... )

We lost power Monday around 1pm. It still isn’t back, 54+ hours later, and NStar has categorically refuse to give us anything more helpful than ‘we aim to have everyone restored by Thursday at 11:30pm’. We’ve rounded up the cats and have taken refuge at my inlaws place in Needham, but this is throwing some serious wrenchery into my daily ( Read more... )

UPDATE: I want to make it clear that I do not play single deck pinochle. The app reviewed is a single deck app. Please bear this in mind when reading my critiques of the game’s capabilities and offerings. But I stand by the other parts of my review.

A lot of people find my blog because of the pages I have up on Pinochle (see the tabs at the top ( Read more... )

As of today, I am old enough to run for President. So if you don’t like any of the available options this fall, feel free to put my name down as a write in candidate.

Mirrored from The Black Horse of the Blog World.

I can remember as a young’un watching reruns of Bob Ross on PBS during lazy summer days at my grandparent’s house in the back TV room.  I was always amazed at how he took this big expanse of nothing and produced an intricate little world, and how the simplest little moves spun out the most articulate details.  Fan brush trees, trowel edged roof ( Read more... )

Week 1 of parenthood was filled with an unexpected amount of time at the hospital, replete with the scares and concerns and adjustments. All of which were extensively detailed in Amanda’s last post.

Week 2 has presented new challenges. There were some truly fussy nights, and he still becomes very vocal any time we set him down for longer than ( Read more... )

So, hot on the heels of the last post, our little jägermonster (the nickname is an online handle, and those of you who know his actual name can probably see the alliterative connection) entered the world Tuesday morning around 7am.  Baby and parents are doing fine, and family has started coming to meet the new one. Longer posts to follow, but the ( Read more... )

So, as you probably know, Amanda is due any day now, and we’ll be very soon experiencing the joys and frustrations of going to the hospital and coming home with a bundle of ‘change your life’.  In this context, I’m going to open a few channels and close a few as well.  For starters, I’m putting together a mailing list for communication only on this ( Read more... )

Fall, Mortality, and the Machine: Tolkien and Technology - Alan Jacobs - The Atlantic.

The above link is to an article discussing one of Tolkein’s enduring bequeaths to Fantasy literature - that technology is the enemy.  This still plays out in literatures and stereotypes today.  How many boffer larpers talk about what they do as a chance to ( Read more... )